Window-operating apparatus.



H. G. DBSBECKER.

WINDOW OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED 11m. 30, 1909. RENEWED OCT. 5, 1911.

Patented May 20, 1913.

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H. C. DESBECKER.

WINDOW OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 30, 1909. RENEWED 001'. 6, 1911.

1,062,085. Patented May 20, 1913.

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Flg la g I I. j x j I 21 1 1 I f I I j I y 1 I W/T/VE SE8: I {'l s INVENTOR 43 75 7 /g 3 Haro/a CfiesecKeK BY L m J ATTORNEY .UNITED snares PATENT onrron.

HAROLD G. DESBECKER, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 HERMAN W.

' BLOCK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WINDOW-OPERATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1913.

Application filed March 30, 1909, Serial No; 486,703. Renewed October 5, 1911. Serial No. 652,964.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, HAROLD C. DESBEOKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window-Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved means whereby a window may be closed at will either completely or partially and from any part of the building in which said window is located. t

It also relates to means whereby a window may be either opened or closed from a distant point.

The invention is especially useful in so far as it permits a person lying in bed to wholly or partially close the window in a case of cold or inclement weather or in the morning before rising but other uses will readily present themselves upon reading the subjoined description.

The invention, it will be understood, might be applied to the upper or lower sash of a window or both so that the window can either be opened or closed from a distant point without departing from the spirit of the invention.' 7

The invention consists in the improved combinations of devices orapparatus hereinafter more particularly described and then specified'in' the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a generalelevation and partial section of a window framing and devices applied'to the window according'to my present invention in one of its forms. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical .section through the operating. drums and attachments. Fig. 3.- is a horizontal sections-taken on the line an ac, Fig.. 2. Fig. 4. .is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing. my invention as applied to both sashes.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a window frame and 2 the lower-sash of'the window adapted to be raised and lowered in the usual guides or strips. The sash 2,

when my invention is applied to merely lower the sash, is counter-weighted or counter-balanced by the usual means, such as for instance 'weig ts 3 of suflioient power to hold the sash lifted to any desired point.

4 indicates a spring actuated drum preferably closed by plates 4 and 5 indicates cords or chains attached respectively to opposite sides of the drum. These cords or chains pass over guiding pulleys 6 mounted in a supporting frame 7 and then through pulleys 8 set in or beneath the sill 9 of the window. They then pass over pulleys 10 mounted in or on the sash of the window and return under pulleys parallel with the pulleys 8 to a supplemental drum 11 mounted preferably above the drum 4. The frame 7 is attached to a suitable base or plate 13 dle or shaft 12 hereinafter referred to. By means of this supporting frame, the device can equally well be inverted and inserted 11f the upper casing to work the upper sash -or to raise the lower sash as hereinafter described.

12 is a post or shaft which may be fixed upon a suitable sustaining plate 13 and to which one end of a coiled spring 14 is connected. The other or free end of said spring is connected to the drum 4 in its interior after the manner of a. clock spring. In the present instance, however, the post 12 differs from the spindle of an ordinary spring clock in that it is fixed. The winding of the spring in the present instance is done by the raising of the window or lowering, if the device is applied to the upper sash, and the unwinding of the cords upon the periphery of the drum; Attached to the drum is a suitable toothed or detent wheel 15 having closely spaced teeth and adapted to be engaged and held from turning by a pivoted catch 16 which, like the post or spindle 12, may be mounted upon the base plate 13. A suitable spring 17 tends to keep the catch engaged with the teeth of the detent wheel 15 to normally hold the drum against rotation under the influence of the spring 14;. 18 is a suitable electromagnet mounted on the base13 or otherwise supported and hav.

ing its core or armature connected by a link 19 with the catch 16. These parts are so arranged that when t-he electromagnet is excited the power thereof will be applied to the catch 16 to move the same forcibly against the influence of the spring 17 and to thereby free the detent wheel 15 connected to drum 4 and allow the same to rotate and wind up the cords 5 on its peripher These various parts mounted on the sill o the winand serves to steady and support the spin dow are preferably located in a recess in said sill and are sustained in position by means of screws passing through plate 13 or other supporting plate of the mechanism.

The clectromagnet 18 has its circuit extended to any desired point in the room or building from which it is desired to control the closing, partial or complete, of the window. At such point a push button 20 or other means for closing the electric circuit of said magnet is provided. Electric enorgy for energizing the magnet may be furnished by a battery 21 or by preference the energy for that purpose is taken from the usual electric lighting circuit or other source.

Normally, and even when the window is closed, the spring 14 should be under strong tension and the cords or chains 5 will be wound up on the periphery of the drum 4. Vhen the window is raised by hand the cords are unwound from the drum but in so doing turn the same. and put the spring under further tension. During this movement of the drum the detents of. tooth wheel 15 slip by the catch 16; but the latter is ready to engage the teeth and stop the same as soon as the movement of the drum due to lifting of the window sash ceases. When the detent and drum are thus held by the catch against turning it is obvious that no power will be exerted tendin to close the window excepting the force of gravity, and this is overcome by the counter-balancing devices, such as weights. The counter-balancing effect of the weights however should be less than the power of the spring so that when the latter is freed it may close the window against the'influence of the counterbalance.

It is obvious that the window may be raised to any desired height and will be normally maintained in such position by the counter-balance and because of the fact that the catch 16 prevents the drum from turning under the action of the spring 14. Should it be desired to close the window,

- the occupant of the room simply closes the circuit of the magnet 18 and the latter thereupon acts to withdraw the catch and allow the spring 14 to act and wind up the cords 5, thereby lowering the window sash. If it is desired to lower and close the window completely, it is only necessary to'hold the push button down until that is effected. It is, however, easy to partially close the windowand to any desired extent, it only being.

securing them to the drum 4. The drum 11, preferably closed by )lates 11', is mounted above the drum 4 an rests upon a plate 22 and by means of a collar 23 secured to the spindle 12 is kept entirely free from the drum 4. Vithin the drum 11 is a weak spring 24 mounted and secured in a similar manner to the mounting of the spring 14, and therefore tends to rotate said drum.

Normally, due to the pull of the drum 4, the'cords or chains 5 will not be wound about the supplemental drum 11, but should the sash be lowered (or raised, if the device is applied to the upper sash) by hand instead of by means of the drum 4 and spring 14, the slack cord or chain caused thereby will be taken up on the drum 11 which is free to rotate at all times. In this manner snarling or knotting of the'cords or chains is prevented, the spring 24 being strong enough to take care of anyslack cord or chain,-but is too weak to effect the opening or closing of the sashes. However, I do not limit myself to the use of this supplemental drum as it might, if desired, be dispensed with without departing from the spirit of my invention.

hen the sash is in raised position, the cords or chains will be entirely unwound from both drums and the springs under tension as previously described. If the sash is lowered by pressing the push button and releasing the spring in the drum 4, the cord will wind up on the drum 4, the drum 11 remaining stationary. However, if the window is lowered by hand, the cord cannot wind on the drum 4 as it is held by the catch, but as the cord becomes slack it is taken up on the drum 11 by said drum revolving by means of its spring as previously set forth. When the window is again raised the cord will unwind from the supplemental drum 11, the drum 4 still remaining held under tension. Obviously by changing the place of securing the cords to the sash and varying the position of the pulleys over which the cords pass, the sash could be raised by power if desired and lowered by hand instead of the reverse condition as just described. Obviously the invention can be used on either the upper or the lower sashes or might be used on both. An illustration of the latter use is shown in Fig. 4 in which the device heretofore described is merely duplicated, inserted in the upper casing and secured to the upper sash similar to the manner of securing the lower device. By this construction the upper sash can be raised and the lower sash lowered from a distant point by operating the proper circuit closer in an obvious manner.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination of a window adapted to be operated in one direction by hand, a spring connected with the window and -by hand, a spring actuated catch adapted to normally engage the detent wheel, an

electromagnet normally I inactive and adapted to withdraw the catch and a .circuit closer connected to the circuit of said electromagnet whereby the catch may be,

withheld until the window has traveled under the influence of the spring to the desired extent. 4

2. The combination of a window having means whereby the same may be held at any desired point against the action of gravity, a spring connected with the window and adapted to close the same against the action of the force tending to open it, detent mechanism for holding the spring out of action at any point at which the window may be placed, an electromagnet for releasing said detent mechanism and a circuit closer connected to the circuit of said electromagnet..

3. The combination a suitable counter-balance whereby the same may be held at any desired point against the action of gravity, a spring connected with the window and adapted to close the same against the action of the counter-balance, a detent wheel for holding the spring out of action, a spring actuated catch adapted to normally engage the detent wheel, an electromagnet for withdrawing the catch and a of a window having.

circuit closer connected to the circuit of said electromagnet.

4. ,The combination with a window and a power actuated drum connected with the window, cords connected with the window and secured at one end to said drum and a supplemental spring actuated drum to which the other ends of, said cords are secured whereby the slack of said cords is taken up on said supplemental drum when the window is operated b hand.

5. The combination, su stantially as described, of a window having counter-balance weights, a spring actuated drum upon which are wound cords connected to the window, a detent-wheel connected to said drum, a catch for holding the s ring out of action and adapted to allow I ee rotation of the drum to any desired point when the window is moved by hand so as to wind up the spring, an electromagnet for actuating said catch and a circuit closer connected with the circuit of the magnet whereby the same may a be energized to withhold the catch from the detent wheel until the window has travdesired extent.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 1st day of March A. D. 1909.

veled under the influence of the spring to the a 

